Visions of a Sunset

Posted on May 12, 2012 by kristina

I asked my husband if we could go to the beach today so I could take photos of the sunset.

If you look closely, you’ll also see the moon…

I love Instagram and Pixlr!  Somehow, these photo editors can make the crappiest-looking photos look amazing (or at least halfway decent).

Here are a couple of photos we took by the beach…

I remember the song Visions of a Sunset from the movie Mr. Holland’s Opus.  The movie is about this talented musician and composer who has to come to terms with the reality that his own son is deaf.

Do you remember the song or the movie?  And do you also love looking at the sunset?

 

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Xtreme Golf

Posted on May 6, 2012 by kristina

The new go-to place in East London is the Xtreme Golf place at Beacon Bay.

There’s nothing too extreme about it, really.  I know it as miniature golf.  Here in South Africa, they refer to it as “putt putt“.

The big pond where you don’t want your balls to end up in…

The snack area…

The place has 3 courses, each with a varying degree of difficulty.  Of course, our friends thought it would be cool to try the hardest one.

Move over for the Masters…

The “Masters of Illusion”, that is.  Haha.  I think next time I’ll try the beginners’ course.

I don’t know if Sunday is the best day though because when we went there, the place was packed!  Nevertheless, we had a lot good fun, despite our lack of golfing skills.

It’s a really fun place to to bring your friends and family.  I’m definitely going back!

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Gonubie Festival

Posted on May 5, 2012 by kristina

We attended the Gonubie Festival today, which is organized by the Gonubie Round Table.  The goal of the festival is to raise funds for children organizations/charities like the Gonubie Primary School and a school for autistic children, just to name a few.

While my husband was helping out as a barman at the beer tent, I wandered around the sports field.

Aside from the usual food and commercial stalls, they had a lot of kiddie rides.

There was a “cage fighting” demonstration…

To pass the time (my husband was volunteering for 3 hours), I watched the Miss Gonubie 2012 pageant which was just right next to the beer tent.  The pageant is organized by Models Agency and has been going on for 15 years!

The contest had 3 categories: 16-24 yo, 13-15 yo, and 6-12 yo.

Last year’s winners…

This year’s winners…

16-24 yo category:

13-15 yo category:

6-12 yo category:

At the end of the event, I was able to take a photo of Miss Gonubie 2011 and Miss Gonubie 2012 (16-24 yo category).  They’re really tall!

I thought to myself: I hope my kids take to their dad and be really tall as well!

Anyway, there were a lot of stalls at the festival that were also at the East London Agricultural Show.  And yes, we found our favorite lamb spit rolls and mini-donuts!  Old habits die hard!  :)

All in all, I think it was quite a fun day… at least for me, because my husband had to work.  But it’s all for a good cause!

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East London Agricultural Show

Posted on May 3, 2012 by kristina

Since last Tuesday was a non-working holiday (Workers’ Day), my husband and I decided to check out this year’s East London Agricultural Show.

It is organized by the East London Agricultural and Industrial Society and provides an avenue for the locals to sell their different products ranging from baked goodies to handmade wares.

Aside from the commercial stalls, people also go there to watch horse events, live entertainment, and auctions.  And of course, it wouldn’t be called an agricultural show without the animals (cattle, poultry, horses).

The main reason why my husband and I go is for the food.   He loves the lamb spit rolls that they have there.

I go for the yummy mini-donuts…

We ended up buying organic peanut butter…

… and a fossilized white spined ammonite.

We’re geeky like that.  :)

I feel like once you go to one agricultural show, it’s the same every year.  So it might get a bit boring after a while.  But are we still going next year?  Probably… just for the food. :)

On a side note, it is officially my second year here in South Africa!  Wow, where did all that time go?

Photos edited with Pixlr.

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Sound of Africa

Posted on April 30, 2012 by kristina

Last February, my husband and I were invited to the State of the Province Address of the Eastern Cape which was held at Bhisho.

After the address, we had the pleasure of watching one of South Africa’s up-and-coming artists named Zahara.  People have dubbed her music as “Afrosoul” and have compared her talent to the likes of Tracy Chapman and India Arie.

I only got a couple of pictures of her and were of poor quality.  This was the best I could do…

She hails from the Eastern Cape and sings mostly in her native language of Xhosa.  Zahara has such a beautiful voice that it doesn’t really matter if you understand what she’s singing about.

Listen…

What do you think of Zahara’s music?

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Blush Dress

Posted on April 19, 2012 by kristina

Here’s a dress that I haven’t exactly worn out yet but I bought a couple of months back because it was too cute and pretty cheap! Of course, I’m not one to pass up a good deal when it comes to clothes!

Anyway, winter is almost here so I might as well try this on at least for once before it starts getting too cold!

I’m honestly dreading winter… not just because I hate the cold but because I’m pretty clueless when it comes to winter wear!  I need help!

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Waiting…

Posted on April 19, 2012 by kristina

I feel guilty.  I haven’t been posting much lately.  I started this blog with the aim of sharing my adventures in South Africa to my friends and family.  Sorry, but there just isn’t a lot of exciting things happening in my life right now.

Mostly, it’s just a lot of waiting.  Waiting to pass my exams… waiting to get a job… waiting for life to get a little better.

Am I starting to sound too whiny?  Anyway, I believe that anything truly worth-it in this life will always be hard to achieve.  But anything that’s truly worth having is worth fighting for.  So I just need to be strong, persevering and patient.

I promise I’ll try harder in updating this blog.

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Schrodinger, The Cat

Posted on March 28, 2012 by kristina

A couple of months back, my husband phoned me from work and told me he wanted to get a kitten.  Apparently, he saw a Facebook post from his friend with a picture of a black kitten looking for a forever home.  I told him we can get it if he asks permission from our landlord first.

Our landlord said yes and we named the male kitten Schrodinger (after the famous Austrian physicist, Erwin Schrodinger).  Google or Wiki him and you’ll see he did a thought experiment involving a cat (hence the name Schrodinger’s cat).

I’ve never had a cat before and I’ve always considered myself more of a dog person.  But since we’ve had Schrodinger (it’s been a couple of months now), I’ve realized that I’m a cat person as well.

Schrodinger is such a smart, fun, and sweet little cat!  I especially love it when he cuddles with us in our bed  every night.  I love him so much!

Here he is climbing the tree in our garden and lounging by the pool…

He’s so adorable that I like to take pictures of him (as you can see).  That’s why my husband keeps on referring to him as the most photographed cat in the world!  Haha.

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Oscars 2012: Best Dressed

Posted on February 27, 2012 by kristina

Who’s got the Oscar fever?  I do!

But truth be told, I think I get more excited about what the celebrities are gonna wear than the awards ceremony itself!  Hehehe.  Anyway, here are my picks for Best Dressed this year.

Octavia Spencer wore this Tadashi Shoji gown that really hugged and accentuated her curves.  It’s the first time I’ve heard of this Japanese designer. But after  Octavia winning Best Supporting Actress, I’m sure it won’t be the last!

Gwyneth Paltrow always looks good on the red carpet, but sometimes her Oscar looks miss the mark.  This Tom Ford design, however, stood out despite the simple sleek design.

Jennifer Lopez is such a glamazon! Hey, I wanna look like her when I’m 42 years old! She totally sparkled in this Zuhair Murad gown.  It would’ve been a fashion disaster on someone else, but I think this dress perfectly suits her.

Here are my honorable mentions:

Emma Stone‘s porcelain skin really popped in this red Giambattista Valli number.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in a worst-dressed list.

Angelina Jolie. A lot of people thought this Versace Atelier gown was boring.  But I actually really like it and think Angelina looked magnificent in it.  Look at those legs!

(All photos from Fab Sugar.)

So who are your Best Dressed picks for this year’s Oscars?

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Outfit of the Day: LBD

Posted on February 21, 2012 by kristina

I wasn’t quite sure what to wear to a political (cocktail) event at the State House in Bhisho that my husband and I were invited to.  I  figured, you can never go wrong with an LBD (little black dress)!

What do you think of the pockets?

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